2017 GOWC Delaney Vyd Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

13.5

Youthful and clean looking in the glass. The nose is immediately met with commanding flavors of ripe red and black cherry, slightly candied and suggesting warmth and richness with the flavors to come. Macerated strawberries and currant meld with notes of caramel, cinnamon and cedar. The wood integration is seamless and offers layers of richness and delicate accents that add to the interesting aromatic outline. Fresh flowers and subtle dried herbs give another dimension that inspires additional time enjoying the aromatic intensity. The flavors on the palate strike with a firm dark cherry and snap of acidity to match. There is a combination of power and finesse that propels the myriad of flavors to unfold immediately but remain in the mouth for an extended time once the sip is swallowed. Interesting tones of dried leaves, wet river rocks, potting soil, and red flowers give greater definition to the flavor profile and linger together for a lovely finish. The Delaney offers power and firm tannin that should provide plenty of structure for time in cellar. It is fresh and delicious today with a dark fruit and earth profile. That said, the 2017 vintage leads the charge in the glass with its fresh character and approachable style. The Delaney Vineyard is delicious today and will continue to develop and unfold as it remains in bottle.

At Delaney Vineyard the leading factor in their high quality fruit is a strict regime of shoot thinning. After fruit set, leaves are removed in the fruit zone on the east side of the vines. Later, the clusters are counted and thinned to a maximum of 28 clusters per vine. Once grapes have achieved 75% color a final thinning occurs. This Pinot Noir is one of the densest wines produced from the classic 2017 vintage. Rich, and silky, this blend of two blocks on this 85 acre property showcase what this 25+ year old vineyard can deliver.

Open Top fermentation in 1.5 Ton lots with 30% whole cluster. Punchdowns 2x daily with a 14 day ferment. Then aged in 55% new oak, this was certainly built for time.

he 2017 season started three weeks later than 2016, but would be more in line with a “traditional” Oregon harvest. Crop yields were up by 15-20%, but with high quality fruit, with great flavor. A few rains in the Willamette Valley delayed the beginning of harvest, but due to delayed ripeness of the grapes, the rains did not affect the quality or concentration of flavor. Flavor will be less overt, but the overall wines will show depth of fruit and elegance, balanced by good acidity and round tannin.